Axle.



H. D CHURCH.

AXLE. APPLICATION mso 00111, 1913.

Patented Sept; Il 1918.

vwd/Mm Wg, f [www H. D. CHURCH.

AXLE.

I APPLICATION man ocTfll, |913." 1,278,856... Patented Sept.. 172%918.

,VVL i nesscs:v

, Jillian-ley,

HAROLD D. CHURCH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AXLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 17,1918.

Application filed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,748.

gan. have invented certain new and useful improvements in Axles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and particularly to the driving axle eonstruction thereof.

In driving axle construction it is essential that all of the gears andbeai'ings should be well lubricated and particularly is this true .of worin and worm wheel driving gears. The present invention is shown as applied to a worm and worin wheel driving axle, but it is obvious that some of the-features of the invention are as well adapted to other types' of axles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a driving axle with means for supplying lubricant from' one of the gears to one of the bearings. i

Another object of the invention is to provide a rear axle having a diiving shaft `therein and supportedl in suitable bearings with means for supplying oil from the gear on said driving lshaftat one side of said bearings to the thrust bearings at the other side of said supporting bearings.

Another object of the invention is to snp-- ply lubricant from the inain casing of a rear axle to the thrust bearings of the axle driving shaft when said thrust bearings are mounted in a housing which is beyond one of the supporting bearings of said driving i shaft.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings which rforni a part ofthis specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse section through Aa motor vehicle rear axle embodying this invention Fig. 2 is `a view similar to Fig. 1 of a part of such axle casing with the driving shaft and bearings removed;

Fig. 3 is a section substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. a line 4-4 of Fig. 1, with the drivingshaft and lnarings removed.

Referring to the drawings, 1() represents the main axle casing which is formedes shown of lower portion 11 having lan section substantially on the opening 12 at the top and a cover 13 which closes said opening and is provided with various supports for the bearings of the axle anddriving shaftas hereinafter morel rfully described.

One of the sections of 'the vehicle driving .axle is shown at 14 and some of the differential gears are represented at 15 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the driven gear or worm wheel 16 is shown as secured to and. driving the di'erential gears 15.

i. The above hdescribed diiferential mechanisiii and driven gear 1G are mounted in suitable bearings in downwardly projecting lugs 1'( which are shown particularly -in "Figs. 3 and 4 as formed integral with the cover 13.

' The cover 13 is formed with suitable aliiied supports 18 and 19 at the, front and rear of the casing l() respectively. These supports are for the radial bearings 20 of the driving shaft 21, only the reai' bearing being shown in the drawings. The driving shaft 21 extends into the casing l0 as shown and is formed with a worin 22 which meshes with worm wheel 1G and which is arranged forward of the supporting bearing 20 shown in Fig. 1. Beyond the bearing 20 and in a housing 23 which is formed as an integralv extension of the upper part -of the casing 10, is a thrustbearing 24 which as shown in the drawing, is adapted to take the thrust of the driving shaft 21 in both directions. That is, this thrust bearing 24 is provided with two series of balls 2 5 on opposite sides of a ring 26 which is secured firmly to the shaft 21. The balls 25 of course operate on suitable bearing rings 27 which abut against shoulders 28 and 29 on the housing 23.

It will be understood that in worm gear ing of this character, there is considerable thrust upon the driving shaft 21, in a rearward direction when the vehicle is moving forwardly and in a forward direction when the vehicle is being driven iii the reverse' di rection. Therefore the thrust bearing 24 niust receive plenty of lubricant in Order to prevent it from wearing or becoming heated. Also it, will be understood that it is desirable to place the supporting bearings 20 as close to the worm 22 as possible in order to preserve the alinement thereof, and this requires that the thrust bearing 24 be placed beyond the supporting bearing .20 as shown in" the drawings.' Thispoeitione'f the'thrust bearing 24 removes it :considerably {nom-the body'oil 'lubricnnt'wvhich is Contained in the leasing nnjdQthebearing lwould. there- .t`c re-no.t receive sufficient lubrie'antiii Some special nieanewere not `.provnle'd for that purp0se.-

.- The present inventlon provides' 4means for hearinggb means oi u conduit' Whieh' 1s shmvn its slightly. 'inclined downwardly. to-

."vtard theli-oneingl 23and' entending into tl-ie iv'orin vWil the'latt'er revolves. The 'lubricant thus' allf s aid. housing around the eup'perting bea-ring. Thisponduit is' epresentedl'ut 3() i'n the dreivi'ngs'und its forwardpart ie" in the forni of .a trougl1. 31 4whih is shown :te en 4inginlpart 'ofitllj `cover' piirt 13 of the o's'inglt) und ,as 'extending alongside :of -.th,`e.,.' wvo`r1n 22 so that theft-hiel( lubricant `which elineft-o besoin )ed t fof the Worm .as

through thepnrtfof'the conduit `30"thut ex-A tende z lrou'nd' .thenbe'aring 2 'inte the l hbue1-ngj2 where-lt'willbe.taken up by the t iruetbeuringe Q'li andl then/ledl to .the bear-j ing Surplue lubfriont .will li'ow through 'the ,bering 2O und beek into ythe cn'singjl. lThusathe lubricant .returns to the bottoni of .the casing' 10' undislifted by'tlie,vv'orm Wheel 156 to the .vv-'ori '1. QZt'n'd from'4 there again '.tlie trough 3L There is therefore, :t constat-nti;cireulzitipli' ofy lubri-V cant 'infthe @using andnll-'of the .parte 'ofthe diiferenti'el' and dr' zing g'eu'rs'end bearings :ire u111ply" luiiricatecl v.The hover :portion 13 ofthe-casing 10- is' .provided With-,it top 'opening 39 just labove' fthe Worin' V'22j which thereby .gives aecessg'to lthe worin n'd-'to lthe conduitBO orelean? ing out the latte'r. yThis opening- 32 is` closed by e'. reniovablefcover 33 as Shown iii-*the d-rw'ings.l

A' e' ecifie embodiment of-.the invention 'hzts'been describedin ,detail and' will be Spe-, eia'll'y planned, butl itl 'will beyi'inderstood tht'the invention is not'limited tothe eX'ztqt details of constructionshown, as jit IWilljbe' -upptuentlthat vchanges may'. b e I nede- Without. departing from theepirit lor Scope of 4the invention. Having thu ,deseribed .nvention, W'hitt I claim and 'desire .to Secure .by Lettere. 'P atent is .1.'In a. 1n'ot0r..vehiCl' e, theoonibinntion of an i aXlevc'asinghaving n supporting bearing vtherein,'z nd 'a drivingshuft extending' into the easing nd supported iii-,said bearing'.

a gear'on Sai l'- shaft onvonewside ofsaid .extending 'anagile Casing,

bearing,l 2 1' thrustbeuringen th e\0ther side thereof, .alud ineens for supplying seid, gearvv with' lubricant, saidv eusingfhaving an; in

e-lined conduit, one end' adjaeent-- the gem',

to remove'lubriee-nt therefrom, andthe other '.e'ndf udjaent the 'thruet bearing to 'convey the! 'removed lubricant tlie`reto;

.2. in'. it nietor vehicle,l the foo'nibination- .of un axle' eee-ing, hav-ingesupporting bearing th'eaeusing undeuineorted in 4'seid beziring, e getti von sja-itt shaft on 'one yside' of eaid bear.'i ing', t th-ruetbezlringon tlie'other side thereof, end rne'ens for .supplyingfsaid gear 'with lib-iicant, s aid vseeing having an .iiitilind cond'uit"'fo1nibdf in its" Walle, around'V the supe the' gear,- to remove lubriC-.untItherefrmiu` :indi the other en'd'nd'jzieent 'the thrust' hearing .ntov

vporting bearingbne ent adjent convey' vthe reino-ved1lubrieent thereto-.f

In 'a ni'tor vehiele,.th.e eonibinal ion of an 'axle easing' lie-ving; thrust and'- supporting bearings. therein, `and it Adrivinn" shurfteX!- 'tending-into'the Liesing und; acting gainst said bearings, 'a gear on su1d"sl1uit,.und means foreuppl5'ing i ud geur with lubril'.

Cent, und eui'd (intein-Q having' 'en inclined, conduit'. onev end edgeeent the v geur- ;to] rer' more lubricant therefrom and the',other end "ndjaeent- Suid 'bearings to' t'fonve'y the reif moved lubricant thereto.

4. In vt iinotor* veliicle, the' loihbinati'onof an' axle easing, e 4tvornuvheel' in'oui'ited there* in', avdriving .slni-ftei;tendiiig into. the casing above sind wheel and having it wormqin'-, lne'sh therewith', -a ','bearlngfin"Said'easing,

'for' said driving "ehhh, and an inclined-conl,

sde of Said ,Worin to scrapel off the lnbricitnt.

lntestiinonywhereof nt'xinysignature in the`` preeeneezof two 'Witnesesy HAROLD D. CHURCH. lWitnesses INH, Muisonvinnn, Ln' ROI '.l. ILLMMS. 

